I thought I'd approach this forum on the above topic since I beleive you will have an honourable solution....

Does anybody know how I can avoid yet another CRB check.
Just to give you a little more information.
I have had four CRB checks done over the last 4 years, one of which is held, I believe, by the last educational establishment I worked with, and hold a level 2 safe guarding certificate (a bit like scs card, but for educational institutions)

Now each of these CRB checks cost £54.00 and I'm obliged to send original personal documentation through the post neither of which I'm happy about parting with.

Well they're a bit like an MOT - only really valid on the day they're done. My understanding is that they don't expire, and that it's up to the individual organisation as to how often they want to see them refreshed. It also appears that each organisation can request its own CRB checks - for example, if you have one done for working with the Scouts, it won't cover you to work in a school.

If you suspect you're being asked for one which they already hold for you, i'd be throwing the 'Data Protection' card into the ring, wanting to know where was the record of your existing one, given the personal nature of the thing.
It's what my missus did when the outfit she works for (vulnerable adults) was due an Investors In People audit - suddenly everyone was supposed to get fresh CRB's. Given some CRBs were only a year old and the firm has a 5 year refresh interval, shouting "Data Protection" is the only thing that made the office-wallahs pay any attention to the 100-odd staff which were going to be out of pocket.

I forgot about the Data Protection Act. This is very useful information.
The company says that its of paramount urgency that I send them all this info. and also states that its a statutory obligation. There seems to be be a wanting lack of joined up thinking between the various bureaucratic establishments.

I have what they call an Enhanced CRB check yearly and it's done by a childrens charity that I do some occasional driving for. I always have a member of their staff with me as it involves driving a mini-bus with a dozen children from Kent to Exeter so I need someone there to keep them all under control! The charity pay for the CRB check but it does seem daft that they have to renew it every year particularly as i'm never alone with any of the kids, also as said above it's only valid for that organisation, if I were to do any work elsewhere they would have to do a CRB of their own, more money for the greedy government of course!

One of mine (Enhanced) hasn't been redone since the first time ( 8 years)

Another one gets done if I change position in the group

and my security clearance gets reviewed more frequently.

The whole thing is a mess although I do hear rumours about a better system in the pipeline where you have one check and "interested parties" can register an interest that then flags to them that they perhaps need to look closer.

Mine are actually enhanced CRBs, due the type of daily exposure/contact.
I'm still waiting for the last institution to send me the copies they have on file, until then I'm in an enhanced state of unenhancement